title: Maturin is a novel protein required for differentiation during primary neurogenesis.
abstract: Proliferation and differentiation are tightly controlled during neural development. In the embryonic neural plate, primary neurogenesis is driven by the proneural pathway. Here we report the characterization of Maturin, a novel, evolutionarily conserved protein that is required for normal primary neurogenesis. Maturin is detected throughout the early nervous system, yet it is most strongly expressed in differentiating neurons of the embryonic fish, frog and mouse nervous systems. Maturin expression can be induced by the proneural transcription factors Neurog2, Neurod1, and Ebf3. Maturin overexpression promotes neurogenesis, while loss-of-function inhibits the differentiation of neuronal progenitors, resulting in neural plate expansion. Maturin knockdown blocks the ability of Neurog2, Neurod1, and Ebf3 to drive ectopic neurogenesis. Maturin and Pak3, are both required for, and can synergize to promote differentiation of the primary neurons in vivo. Together, our results suggest that Maturin functions during primary neurogenesis and is required for the proneural pathway to regulate neural differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY 13210, United States; The Center for Vision Research and SUNY Eye Institute, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, 13210, United States.
authors.forename: Reyna I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Martinez-De Luna
authors.forename: Ray Yueh
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Yung
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lyou
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Zuber
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D029867:Xenopus Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis; D015027:Zebrafish; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C585872:MTURN protein, Xenopus; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D029867:Xenopus Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins; C585871:mturn protein, zebrafish
keywords: Neural plate; Neuronal differentiation; Pak3; Primary neurogenesis